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Tuesday, April 04, 2006
British Sun Sets on Pacific

The United Kingdom lowers Union Flag in Tonga. China moves in. From the Daily Telegraph:

As the British pull out of a region they have dominated since the voyages of Captain James Cook more than 230 years ago, China is flexing its strategic and economic muscle beyond its traditional sphere of influence...

China's interest is three-fold: to compete with Taiwan in securing the diplomatic allegiance of island states, to secure raw materials such as timber, gas and gold, and to challenge Western powers such as Australia, New Zealand and the United States, which have gradually tried to bridge the gap left by Britain...

"It's clear that China wants to be the hegemon of the region," said Miss Windybank. "In the future that may include a military presence, as they expand the capabilities of their navy.

"Britain is no longer a player in the Pacific, nor does it want to be. It's the end of an era." Tony Blair acknowledged the shift during his official visit to New Zealand last week. He discussed the impending Chinese summit with his counterpart, Helen Clark, and told her that from now on Britain will have to rely on New Zealand as its eyes and ears in the region.

But Mr Blair will be disappointed if he thinks New Zealand can act as a regional gendarme - Wellington scrapped the combat capability of its air force four years ago and its navy is small.

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